The Costa Allegra cruise ship anchored Tien Sa port in central Da Nang City on January 1, 2009 bringing the first 800 foreign tourists to the country. The visitors, mainly from Italy, Spain and the UK, visited world-class cultural heritages in the central region such as Hue ancient citadel, Hoi An ancient town and My Son Sanctuary.

The first day of the new year also saw tourists from Austria, the US, Germany and Australia on tours to the country’s famous tourist sites, including Hanoi, Hue and Phu Quoc. Ho Chi Minh City welcomed its first 250 foreign visitors of the year on board three flights operated by Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thanh Rum was at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport to present flowers and extended best wishes to the first callers on New Year’s Day.

On the Calendar New Year’s Eve, the Saigontourist Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) held a party on board the Saigon-Binh Quoi cruise ship for more than 100 international tourists.